Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Gay, Lesbian Teachers Arrested: Sex with Students

On Monday, police charged Michael P. Landreth, 24, a teacher at Clover (South Carolina) High School, with sexual battery of a 16-year-old male student. Also on Monday, Kandace Christopher, 26, of Fort Payne, Alabama — a teacher at Scottsboro High School — was charged with a felony for having sex with a female student under the age of 19.

On Thursday, January 22, school principal Mark Hopkins received a report about Landreth's alleged inappropriate behavior toward a student and an investigation began. Investigators did not give further details, but school officials say the behavior happened off-campus.

Landreth, who taught math at the school, resigned from his position and was arrested on Monday.

A Clover High School math teacher and coach had sex with a student and provided him with alcohol at the teacher’s home [near Lake Wylie on Valley Forge Drive] last summer, arrest warrants released Tuesday allege.

Landreth’s charge of sexual battery notes it was “without force or coercion,” meaning the sexual activity was consensual. South Carolina law states that sexual relations between a teacher and a student who is 16 or 17 is a felony regardless of consent, punishable by up to five years in prison.

Clover school officials were notified of the inappropriate relationship between Landreth and a student last week, schools spokesman Mychal Frost said. Officials immediately began an investigation and notified the York County Sheriff’s Office, he said.

The [school] district said all applicants for employee positions in the school district are subject to a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division background check, and a Central Registry of Child Abuse and Neglect check through the Department of Social Services.

It is against South Carolina law for a person “affiliated with a … school in an official capacity” to have sex with a student, even if the relationship is consensual. If the student is 16 or 17 years old, the crime is a felony and that person could face up to five years in prison.

Landreth graduated from Anderson University in December 2012 with a degree in mathematics secondary education, according to the Web page, which is no longer posted on the school’s site. Landreth started working at Clover High School after graduating from Anderson.

Scottsboro Police say 26-year-old Kandace Christopher was booked on two charges Monday. Those charges are one felony count of a school employee engaging in a sex act with a student under the age of 19 and one misdemeanor count of a school employee having sexual contact with a student under 19. Christopher’s bond was set at $16,000 and she was transferred to the Jackson County Jail.

Police followed up with a criminal investigation, and determined a relationship took place between the [female] student and the teacher, Christopher, for the past three months. According to Scottsboro High School’s website, Christopher was a world history teacher as well as a softball and basketball coach.

“Responding officers learned that the juvenile ran away after being confronted by her parents about a relationship between the juvenile and a teacher/coach from school,” [Scottsboro Police Lt. Erik] Dohring said. “The juvenile was located several hours later and returned to her parents.”

The Scottsboro Police Department Detective Unit followed up with a criminal investigation following this allegation of an inappropriate relationship between the student and her teacher. Dohring said the investigation revealed that the relationship did occur involving the student and history teacher Kandace Marie Christopher, 26 of Fort Payne, over the past three months. Christopher also served as a junior high basketball coach and assistant varsity softball coach.

On Monday, at 11:55 a.m., officers arrested Christopher and charged her with school employee engaging in a sex act or deviant sexual intercourse with a student under the age of 19 (Class B felony) and school employee having sexual contact with a student under the age of 19 (Class A misdemeanor). Christopher was transported to the Scottsboro City Jail and was transferred to the Jackson County Jail. She was released on $16,000 bond at 4:36 p.m. Monday. Per Judge Don Word, the bond holds the condition that Christopher makes no contact with the juvenile victim.

According to a statement released by the Scottsboro City School System superintendent, Dr. Sandra Spivey: "Yesterday, we received a report of misconduct by a teacher in our school system. We immediately notified DHR, the Scottsboro Police Department and the Alabama State Department of Education. While conducting our internal investigation, the employee submitted a resignation effective immediately. It is the practice of the Scottsboro City School System to cooperate with law enforcement in situations of this kind and we will continue to cooperate with law enforcement in the criminal investigation of this matter."

Jail records confirm that Christopher posted bond and has been released.